We gather up the best and brightest goods, shops, services, and ideas into one handy compendium that encapsulates what beauty means today.

1 of 26

Courtesy of The Menil Collection/Charles B.H. James and Louise D.B. James

A – All-American

As chairman of Parsons School of Design in the 1940s and '50s, and later as the design director at Tiffany & Co., Van Day Truex was a giant of American design and a friend to the likes of Billy Baldwin and Albert Hadley. Truex American Furniture capitalizes on his legacy to reissue forms by people in his circle—Baldwin, Frances Elkins, Charles James—for pieces that practically glow with soigné midcentury allure. To the trade, truexstyle.com

2 of 26

Alison Gootee/Studio D

B – Beguiling

The smile-inducing fabrics by London-based Bernard Thorp are hard to resist. Since each is made to order (with a five-meter minimum), custom colored, and hand screened by master artisans, we think they're pretty hard to beat, too. From$134 per meter, bernardthorp.co.uk.

3 of 26

Alison Gootee/Studio D

C – Cheeky

Amedeo Scognamiglio's fresh take on traditional cameos—a craft his family has practiced since the 1800s—gives diamonds, topazes, and carved shells an irreverent, enchanting sense of fun. $2,000 each, amedeonyc.com

4 of 26

Courtesy of National Gallery of Art, Washington

D – Divine

Groundbreaking American art on exhibit this fall:

Two major American painters get star billing in upcoming surveys. On September 20, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will host Mark Rothko: A Retrospective(through January 24, 2016, mfah.org), offering a comprehensive look at the luminous and haunting work of the seminal Abstract Expressionist, including No. 9 (below). In New York, the Whitney Museum continues an inaugural year in its new Renzo Piano–designed headquarters with Frank Stella (October 30–February 7, 2016, whitney.org), a soup-to-nuts review of the living legend that will also bring together rarely shown reliefs, maquettes, sculptures, and drawings.

The Languedoc Collection comprises the namesake vase (near right and center), designed by René Lalique in 1929 to resemble a cactus, and the new Cynara (far right)—colorful crystal vessels that will complement any space. From $1,175, lalique.com

The Fabric of India debuts at London's Victoria and Albert Museum on October 3 (vam.ac.uk). It surveys the textiles of the subcontinent, including a 17th-century floorcovering from the Coromandel Coast (above left) and a modern Gujarati wall hanging.

Chinese Lacquer: Treasures from the Irving Collection at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (through June 19, 2016; metmuseum.org) shows prime examples of the luscious technique, like a Ming plate (left) and tray (right).

11 of 26

Alison Gootee/Studio D

K – Knowledge

Delve deep into new books with expert insight:

Jonas: The Art of Fine Upholstery (Andrea Monfried, $55) celebrates the time-honored craft—hand-tied springs, arms and backs sculpted from horsehair—of a storied and acclaimed family business.

Rebecca Vizard has built a following for plush accessories hand-sewn from antique textiles. Once Upon a Pillow (Pointed Leaf, $75) displays how a simple square of down can completely transform a room.

A history of one of America's greatest design firms, Parish-Hadley: Tree of Life (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $60) features testimony from alums, including authors Bunny Williams and Brian McCarthy.

12 of 26

Stephen Karlisch/Courtesy of Avant Garden

L – Lush

Avant Garden in Dallas has a bright new space to call home. The digs showcase Todd Fiscus's in-demand arrangements, complete with gray and white–checked floors and trellises lining the walls and ceiling—like a style-savvy homage to Bunny Mellon and Elsie de Wolfe. 85½ Highland Park Village, avantgarden.com

13 of 26

David Prince

M – Master Class

Drawing on her own library of vintage fabrics—she'd been amassing it for years—decorator Bunny Williams has designed a comprehensive collection for Lee Jofa. The group runs the gamut: needlepoint-esque florals, rich patterned velvets, small-scale linen prints, and supple textured solids. Colors go from subtle jewel tones to smoky, faded shades, all the better for a versatile and breezy mix-and-match. "They could work in a beach house or a formal city sitting room," says Williams. To the trade, leejofa.com.

14 of 26

N – Natural Instinct

The medium that Richmond, Virginia–based artist Anne Blackwell Thompson works in is neither paint, nor graphite, nor pastels. Thompson harvests flowers, foliage, and even seaweed, and then carefully presses them into powerfully stark compositions—true-to-life works with a soulful sensibility that captures the fleeting beauty of the natural world. Prices vary, blackwellbotanicals.com.

Below, Rizzoli's airy new flagship in downtown Manhattan was designed by architect Thomas A. Kligerman with a soaring skylight, Fornasetti wallpaper, and the same cherrywood bookcases from the store's much-loved former Midtown location. 1133 Broadway, rizzolibookstore.com

16 of 26

Erika Lapreso/Studio D; Dawkins Photography

P – Pretty

With workrooms in Italy, France, India, and Vietnam at its disposal, Léron turns out some of the most exquisite embroidered linens in the world. We're partial to accessories stitched with blooms, like the blossom-bordered napkin and placemat above or the poppies below, pulled from a tablecloth fit for the most gorgeous dinner party imaginable. Prices vary, leron.com

17 of 26

Alison Gootee/Studio D

Q – Quality

They were designed by French modernist Jean Royère in the 1930s and '50s—blackened iron wrought in sculptural shapes and built to last. Though each is one of a kind, connoisseur and architect Carlos Aparicio has a healthy inventory in his BAC gallery, perfect for cooler days ahead. From $35,000 each, gallerybac.com

Haute estate jeweler Fred Leighton is bringing bits of vintage pieces to fabulous new life by setting them in colorful stones and pairing the resulting pendants with textured chains. From left: Gold and Enamel Buddha with white chalcedony, Gold Owl with lapis, Ruby and Diamond Heart with gray chalcedony, and Gold and Amethyst Snake with black jade. Prices upon request, fredleighton.com

20 of 26

Dominique Maitre/Alessandra D'Urso

T – Très Chic

The skylit space features an eclectic collection of fashion and design—from scarves and sunglasses to olive oil.

De la Fressange curates "a mix between a hardware store and a bazaar," complete with a couture workshop for one-offs.

The former model designs her own line of clothing from vintage fabric stocks and collaborates with brands such as lingerie-maker Fifi Chachnil. inesdelafressange.fr.

21 of 26

Alison Gootee/Studio D

U – Unexpexted

Known for bangles, bracelets, and earrings crafted from precious metals and gems, David Webb is forging ground with bold, beautiful ingredients like blood-wood. Yes, please. From $8,200, davidwebb.com

22 of 26

Melanie Acevedo

V – Va-Va-Voom

Miles Redd's first collection for Schumacher has all the personality we've come to expect from the celebrated decorator: There is a shimmering, Mylar-based wallpaper inspired by the glamorous mirrored bathroom in his own Manhattan townhouse, a pictorial print overflowing with birds and blooms, a deliciously textured silk solid that's available in a range of saturated shades, and much more. Used sparingly or generously, they'll bestow a healthy dose of oomph to any room. To the trade, fschumacher.com

23 of 26

Alison Gootee/Studio D

W – Well-Mannered

A custom monogram by Nancy Sharon Collins is a thing of beauty. Hand engraved on whisper-thin stock like onionskin (the preferred medium for letter writers Ernest Hemingway and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis), it says so much more than any e-mail, text, or emoji ever could—and it never loses a charge. Prices vary, nancysharoncollinsstationer.com

24 of 26

X – XOXO

The clean-lined, sleek Boy.Friend reprises the case shape of the well-known Première but blows out the scale—a simple, stunning accessory to wear every day. From $12,500, chanel.com

25 of 26

Y – Young At Heart

Chuck Williams, who opened his first kitchen shop in Sonoma in 1956, marks his 100th birthday this year. To celebrate, Williams-Sonoma is offering limited-edition classics—from rolling pins to cabbage plates—as well as Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home, the beloved out-of-print book featuring Williams's own recipes. williams-sonoma.com.

26 of 26

Alison Gootee/Studio D; John Bartelstone/Courtesy of Albertine

Z – Zodiac

Starry celestial motifs are turning up in the heavens—and closer to home. Beguiling accessories and interiors give new meaning to the question, "What's your sign?" The ceiling of the Albertine bookstore in New York was painted by Atelier Premiere.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Veranda participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.